THE 


Resistant  Vine  Question 

FOR 

CALIFORNIA 

AND  THE 

California  Vine  or  Anaheim 
Disease 


BY 


H.  HOOPS 

WRIGHTS,  CAL. 


NO 
"tf 

CNJ 
O 

ita 


GIFT  ©F 


THE 


Resistant  Vine  Question 

FOR 

CALIFORNIA 

AND  THE 

California  Vine  or  Anaheim 
Disease 


BY 

H.  HOOPS 

WRIGHTS,  CAL. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1906,  by  H.  Hoops,  in  the 
office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D,  C, 


.-.:  ;."•'...  •;.  2'-'--:":. 

Gift 

CHAPTER  I. 
THE  RESISTANT  VINE  QUESTION  IN   GENERAL. 

The  most  important  characteristic  and  the  most  consequential 
in  its  effect  in  different  ways,  which  all  species  of  the  grape  vine 
have  in  common,  is  their  extreme  and  peculiar  sensitiveness  to 
temperature  conditions  of  the  soil  and  the  atmosphere  and  gen- 
erally much  more  the  'sensitiveness  to  such  conditions  of  the  former 
than  of  the  latter.  The  scope  of  this  sensitiveness  of  either  the 
root  or  top  varies  very  much  with  the  different  species,  varieties 
and  hybrids;  in, fact  there  are  no  two  of  these  which  are  exactly 
alike  in  this  respect,  but  it  is  always  within  well-defined  boundaries. 
In  comparing  this  sensitiveness  of  the  root  with  that  of  its  top 
of  different  vines,  we  find  a  multiplicity  of  combinations,  which 
are  most  remarkable  and  if  it  were  possible,  that  they  could  be 
well  understood  in  every  case,  would  remove  obstacles,  which  at 
the  present  time,  appear  almost  unsurmountable. 

My  attention  was  first  called  to  this  some  years  ago^  when  I 
compared  the  behavior  of  certain  varieties,  planted  on  soils,  pre- 
senting different  temperature  conditions  during  spring  and  with 
a  surrounding  atmosphere,  which'' also  showed  a  difference  in 
this  respect.  In  one  locality \)which;  1,  shall  call  A,  the  soil  is 
gravelly  and  somewhat  loose,  and  in  "the,  other  locality,  which  I 
shall  call  B,  the  soil  is  a  clay-loam,  capable  of  holding  a  great 
amount  of  water  in  suspension;! during  spring.  But  while  at  B, 
the  temperature  of  the  overlying\atmosphere  is  uniform  and  gen- 
erally warm  during  spring,  A  is  Known  as  having  cold  and  frosty 
nights  at  that  time,  although  during  the  middle  of  the  day  the 
temperature  of  the  two  respective  atmospheres  is  about  the  same. 
A  has  a  soil  which  warms  up  readily  during  spring,  but  an  atmos- 
phere which  is  exceedingly  cold  at  times.  B  has  an  atmosphere 
which  is  uniformly  mild.  Of  the  leading  table  grape  varieties 
the  Tokay  starts  growth  first  at  A  and  last  at  B.  The  Cornichon 
starts  growth  first  at  B  and  last  at  A.  The  Lenoir 
starts  growth  exceedingly  early  during  spring  at  A  and  makes 
almost  all  its  seasonal  growth  within  about  a  month  after  starting. 
At  B  it  starts  growth  later,  but  still  slightly  ahead  of  the  Cornichon 
and  then  grows  steadily  all  summer.  This  should  prove  con- 
clusively that  the  scope  of  sensitiveness  of  root  or  top  of  the 
Lenoir,  Tokay  and  Cornichon  is  not  the  same.  In  a  similar 


mannet  every  species,  variety  and  hybrid  possesses  a  scope  of 
sensitiveness  of  root  and  top  to  conditions  of  temperature,  con- 
sidered either  separately  or  conjunctively,  which  is  different  from 
that  of  any  other  species,  variety  or  hybrid. 

HABIT  OF  GROWTH. 

The  peculiar  sensitiveness  of  the  grape  vine  to  temperature 
-conditions  would  not  deserve  the  amount  of  consideration,  that 
it  does,  if  it  did  not  exert  its  influence  in  other  directions,  which 
makes  it  of  the  greatest  consequence  in  regard  to  size,  vigor, 
hardiness  and  other  qualities  oft  the  grape  vine.  Its  most  im- 
portant influence  it  probably  has  on  the  growth  habit  of  a  vine, 
which  seems  to  be  principally  governed  by  it.  A  vine  which  is 
affected  by  a  certain  degree  of  coldness  more  than  another  one; 
provided  other  things,  as  form  of  root  system^  size  of  roots  and 
nature  of  soil,  are  the  same,  can  not  start  growth  during  spring  as 
soon  as  the  latter,  but  nlay  become  hardier  in  enduring  drouth 
and  heat  or  less  hardy,  if  its  growth  habit-incapacitates  it  in  taking 
full  advantage  of  the  most  favorable  moisture  conditions  of  the 
soil.  It  may  become  hardier  in  countries  with  long  and  dry 
summers  for  the  reason  that  its  vital  energy  i?  not  so  quickly 
exhausted.  A  vine  always  suffers  most  from  adverse  conditions. 
if  these  affect  it  after  it  has  ceased  its  seasonal  activity. 

In  regard  to  the  growth  habit  of  different  vines,  I  have 
divided  the  native  American  'species  into  two  classes,  free  and 
sluggish  growers.  The  difference  between  the  two  is  in  their 
different  scope  of  sensitiveness  to  temperature  conditions  of  soil 
and  atmosphere  and  much  more  in  that  of  their  roots  than  of 
their  tops,  or  in  other  words,  while  there  is  little  difference  between 
the  tops  of  free  and  sluggish  growers  in  this  respect,  the  latter 
have  a  root  which  is  mare  easily  affected  and  retarded  by  a  low 
temperature  than  their  tops.  But  possibly  it  is  the  other  way. 
Sluggish  growers  may  have  about  the  same  degree  of  sensitiveness 
in  root  and  top.  On  account  of  the  soil  being  colder  where  the 
roots  are  than  right  near  the  surface  eithqr  below  or  above,  the 
roots  can  not  be  as  active  as  the  tops.  Free  growers  possibly 
have  a  root  which  is  much  less  affected  by  the  same  low  tempera- 
ture than  their  tops.  But  the  result  would  be  the  same.  At 
least  the  root  of  sluggish  growers  is  much  more  easily  retarded  by 
certain  temperature  conditions  in  the  soil,  than  their  top  is  by 
those  in  the  atmosphere,  as  both  generally  occur  at  the  same  time. 

544154 


This  seems  to  be  correct  in  regard  to  species  and  hybrids  de- 
veloped by  nature  in  the  southern  States  of  the  East,  but  does  not 
hold  good  with  all  vines  of  a  sluggish  growth,  selected  by  French 
experimenters,  as  the  Berlandieri  hybrids.  Neither  would  such 
vines  be  hardy  enough  that  they  could  occur  wild  in  regions  where 
Riparia,  Rupestris  and  Berlandieri  exist  or  even  in  intermediate 
regions.  The  great  difference  between  root  and  top  of  sluggish 
growers  as  explained,  is  undoubtedly  the  reason  why  they  do  not 
grow  from  cuttings.  The  facility  of  difficulty  with  which  a  vine 
girows  from  cuttings,  indicates  therefore  the  extent  of  the  differ- 
ence between  its  root  and  top  in  regard  to  sensitiveness  to  tem- 
perature conditions. 

It  is  probably  not  entirely  accurate  to  use  the  two  terms  free 
and  sluggish  growers,  as  the  latter  in  their  native  home  have  about 
the  same  growth  habit  as  free  growers  have  in  the  northern  States. 
But  in  using  these  two  terms,  the  effect,  which  is  the  most  im- 
portant in  this  connection,  is  pointed  out  more  than  the  cause. 
The  greater  sensitiveness  to  coldness  in  the  soil  of  the  root  of  a 
sluggislr  grower  in  comparison  with  with  that  of  its  top,  serves 
as  a  check  to  prevent  it  from  exhausting  its  vitality  in  a  region 
which  must  be  extremely  favorable  for  a  rank  and  vigorous 
growth  of  the  grape  vine  and  so  to  save  it  from  becoming  a  prey 
to  parasitic  organisms.  On  the  other  hand  the  free-growing 
Riparias  and  pure  Rupestris,  not  easily  affected  by  certain  low 
temperature  conditions  in  the  soil,  ajre  enabled  through  this  to 
thrive  in  the  more  northern  States,  where  cold  springs  and  short 
summers  prevail.  Rupestris  really  occurs  further  south,  but  it 
is  enabled  to  succeed  there,  I  believe,  more  on  account  of  its 
drouth-resistant'  leaf  and  other  qualities,  which  disappear  after 
grafting. 

In  most  Viniferas  and  the"  Californica  we  have  a  growth  habit, 
quite  distinct  from  that  of  Riparia  and  Rupestris  and  also  Candi- 
cans  and  other  sluggish  growers,  in  that  they  start  growth  rather 
late  during  spring  and  then  grow  very  vigorously.  The  reason  for 
this  is  very  likely,  that  at  that  time  temperature  conditions  become 
extremely  favorable  for  root  and  top  simultaneously.  Growth 
habit  is  the  most  variable  characteristic  of  the  grape  vine,  but 
the  least  variation  in  this  respect  may  be  productive  of  the  greatest 
hardiness  or  the  greatest  weakness. 


—5— 

EFFECT  OF  GROWTH  HABIT  ON  FORM  OF  ROOT 

SYSTEM. 

The  ability  of  a  vine  to  make  use  of  moisture  in  the  soil  is 
governed  by  the  scope  of  its  sensitiveness  to  coldness  and  warmth. 
A  vine  can  take  advantage  of  favorable  moisture  conditions  only, 
if  the  soil  at  the  same  time  has  the  proper  degree  of  temperature, 
as  prescribed  by  its  scope  of  sensitivesess.  By  this  we  must  realize 
what  an  influence  the  latter  has  on  the  direction  the  roots  take 
especially  with  vines  having  a  variable  root  system.  But  it  also 
influences  vines  in  this  respect  to  some  extent,  which  have  a  fixed 
deep  or  shallow  root  system.  A  Champini  and  considering  only 
the  scope  of  sensitiveness  of  its  root,  also  the  Lenoir  would  fail 
in  a  cold  soil,  where  a  Rupestris  St.  George  with  its  freer  root 
would  succeed.  But  the  Lenoir  has  an  advantage  over  the  other 
two  hybrids  on  such  a  soil  in  having  a  more  variable  and  more 
expansive  root  system  and  also  a  peculiar  combination  which  it 
appears  can  not  be  reproduced  again  in  grafting  on  it.  The 
first-named  two  might  also  fail  in  a  coarse  gravelly  soil  even  if 
this  is  warm,  because  their  root  action  is  too  sluggish  to  absorb 
the  quickly  disappearing  and  settling  moisture  as  well  as  a 
Rnpestris  St.  George.  Its  peculiar  scope  of  sensitiveness  to  tem- 
perature conditions  causes  the  Lenoir  to  make  both  deep  and 
horizontal  main  roots  on  the  colder  soils  and  on  warm  gravelly 
ones  mostly  horizontal  main  roots  and  deep  laterals,  almost  the 
opposite  to  what  Viniferas  have  on  such  soils.  The  form  of  root 
system  of  the  latter  for  these  two  different  kinds  of  soils,  horizontal 
main  roots  for  cold  soils  and  deeper  main  roots  for  gravelly  ones, 
is  productive  of  the  largest  growth,  but  is  not  the  hardiest.  The 
ungrafted  Lenoir  has  a  better  root  system  in  this  respect  for  clays 
and  the  Rupestris  St.  George  for  gravelly  soils.  In  order  that  a 
vine  with  only  vertical  main  roots  should  succeed  well  on  a  clay, 
it  must  be  an  exceedingly  free  grower.  Although  the  laterals 
develop  somewhat  more,  they  never  spread  very  far.  Even  the 
Rupestris  St.  George's  root  growth  is  not  free  enough  to  go 
down  deeply  in  a  stiff  clay  and  not  because  its  roots  could  not 
force  their  way  down  early  in  the  spring  while  the  ground  is 
softened  by  spring  moisture.  Of  course  later  in  the  season  it 
would  require  quite  a  stiff  and  active  root  to  penetrate  through 
clay,  while  this  is  becoming  drier. 

Young  Lenoir  vines,  if  standing  on  a  clay,  should  be  exceed- 
ingly well  cultivated  in  order  to  bring  as  many  roots  up  to  the 


surface  as  possible.  This  will  give  them  a  somewhat  freer  growth 
after  grafting,  they  will  make  deep  roots  anyhow  on  such  a  soil 
on  account  of  the  later  growth  of  the  vines.  With  Lenoir  and 
all  hybrids  closely  related  to  species  which  do*  not  grow  well  from 
cuttings,  short  cuttings  for  propagation  are  the  best  for  all  close 
or  compact  soils.  This  is  not  only  for  reasons  following  from  the 
above,  but  also  for  the  reason,  that  a  cold  wet  soil,  packing  tightly 
around  the  stem  of  such  vines,  puts  this  in  an  unhealthy  con- 
dition. This  seems  to  be  the  cause  also  of  the  dry  rot  which  we 
see  sometimes  on  rooted  Lenoir. 

ADAPTATION 

The  growth  habit,  form  of  root  system  and  size  of  roots  are 
principally  the  ruling  factors  in  the  vine's  adaption,  and  from  what 
has  been  said  it  may  easily  be  deduced  that  the  first  named  is  the 
most  important  in  this  respect,  as  it  influences  the  other  two  very 
much.  The  only  difference  for  instance  between  a  Berlandieri 
and  a  Cinerea,  I  think,  is  in  their  slightly  different  growth  habits. 
But  while  one  occurs  on  high  ridges,  the  other  flourishes  only  on 
the  low  and  wet  soils.  Nevertheless,  I  don't  think,  ;that  the 
different  adaptation  to  soil  and  climate  of  these  two  species,  as 
adaption  is  generally  understood,  alone  is  responsible  for  their 
occurrence  under  conditions  so  remote.  I  believe.  I  shall  be 
able  to  prove  in  the  next  chapter  that  another  agency  has  some- 
thing to  do  with  this. 

With  adaptation  we  generally  mean  the  ability  of 
the  vine  to  conform  to  the  requirements  of  soil  and 
climate.  But  in  its  wider  sense  it  would  mean  also  immunity 
from  parasitic  organisms,  especially  if  these  can  not  be  success- 
fully combated  by  any  other  means.  How  important  adaptation 
is,  we  can  see  by  almost  all  plants  occurring  wild.  As  climatic 
and  soil  conditions  change  sometimes  within  small  areas,  so  dif- 
ferent species  and  still  more  different  varieties  appear.  Conditions 
of  soil  and  climate  are  much  more  severe  for  plants  occurring  wild 
than  for  cultivated  ones,  which  naturally  makes  the  former  hardier, 
as  nature  selects  the  hardiest,  but  man  selects  for  his  own  special 
benefit  and  successfully  overcomes  the  lack  of  hardiness  in  culti- 
vated plants  a  good  many  times  by  other  means,  as  substituting 
hardy  roots  in  place  of  their  own. 

Viniferas,  at  least  a  good  many  varieties,  probably  have  the 
best  adaptation  for  California  in  regard  to  vigorous  growth.  But 


while  some  of  them  require  a  warm  gravelly  soil  to  be  satisfactory, 
others  do  very  well  on  the  colder  soils.  All  vines  having  a  more 
sluggish  growth  than  Viniferas  require  a  warmer,  moister  and 
richer  soil  in  California.  If  a  vine's  growth  is  exceedingly  slug- 
gish, it  does  not  'succeed  at  all,  because  it  can  not  avail  itself  of 
favorable  moisture  conditions  during  spring,  the  soil  being  too 
cold.  All  vines  with  a  freer  growth  than  Viniferas  require  a 
cooler  and  moister  soil  and  a  shorter  growing  season.  This  is 
said  without  consideration  of  form  of  root  system;  a  difference  in 
this  respect  might  make  quite  a  difference  in  adaptation.  A  deep- 
rooting,  free  grower  would  have  a  much  better  show  even  in  a 
hot  country  than  a  shallow-rooting  one,  because  in  their  lower 
strata  soils  are  cooler  and  generally  moister.  This  is  probably  the 
reason  why  the  Rupestris  St.  George  does  so  well  in  California, 
because  in  a  proper  soil  all  its  roots  are  down  deeply.  The. Ru- 
pestris St.  George,  Lenoir  and1  Champinis  are  exceedingly  well 
adapted  to  soils  in  California  on  account  of  their  free  spring 
growth,  long  seasonal  activity  and  deep  roots.  The  last  named 
have  less  general  adaptation  than  the  first  two  on  account  of  their 
too 'sluggish  root  growth  and  fixed  form  of  deep  root  system,  being 
adapted  only  to  special  soils,  as  exceedingly  moist  and  warm 
gravelly  loams. 

As  in  California  all  the  moisture  is  retained  in  the  soil  by 
cultivation  during  spring,  that  possibly  can  be  held,  as  a  case 
of  necessity,  our  soils  are  apt  to  be  cold  during  the  beginning  of 
the  growing  season,  especially  the  close  and  compact  ones.  Every 
interspace  of  these  is  filled  up  with  moisture  and  the  warm  air 
can  not  penetrate  down  readily.  If  soils  have  become  somewhat 
dry  and  are  then  thoroughly  soaked  up  by  a  warm  rain,  we  have 
the  greatest  incentive  to  a  vigorous  and  rapid  plant-growth.  Such 
conditions  occur  in  the  southeastern  States. 

In  setting  out  vines  on  close  and  compact  soils,  these  should 
be  worked  over  deeply  in  order  to  make  the  interspaces  larger, 
so  warm  air  can  pass  down  readily  and  the  roots  penetrate  them 
without  difficulty.  Where  'such  working  over  is  not  possible, 
exceedingly  deep  holes  should  be  made  and  a  shovel  full-of  stable 
manure  mixed  with  earth  put  in  their  bottoms,  if  soils  are  either 
clayey  or  gravelly  and  poor.  If  these  are  naturally  rich,  moist 
and  mellow,  additional  manure  might  hurt  some  vines  like  Ru- 
pestris St.  George  and  should  be  left  out,  but  it  will  not  easily 
hurt  a  Lenoir  or  Champini  even  on  the  richer  soils. 


GRAFTING. 

As  has  been  stated  above,  every  variety  and  every  hybrid  has 
its  own  peculiar  growth  habit  or  peculiar  combination  of  root  and 
top  growth  habits.  The  lines  of  demarkation  in  this  respect  in 
regard  to  varieties  belonging  to  different  species  or  in  regard  to 
different  hybrids  are  generally  distinctly  drawn,  but  in  regard  to 
varieties  belonging  to  the  'same  species  are  sometimes  extremely 
fine  and  can  not  be  observed  by  the  casual  observer,  but  never- 
theless are  of  the  greatest  importance.  This  sometimes  becomes 
exceedingly  pronounced  in  grafted  vines,  from  which  we  may 
easily  get  an  idea  as  to  what  it  means  in  regard  to  adaptation  and 
hardiness  by  giving  a  vine  a  different  root  or  a  root  a  different 
top.  Grafting  in  itself  should  not  make  any  difference,  but  it 
makes  a  difference  because  we  get  a  different  combination  of  root 
and  top.  By  substituting  a  different  root,  the  vine  obtained  has 
therefore  neither  the  adaptation  of  the  root  with  its  own  top,  nor 
of  the  top  with  its  own  root,  but  an  entirely  new  adaptation. 

While  roots  can  be  selected  which  better  a  vine's  adaptation 
to  a  particular  soil  or  climate,  we  have  a  good  many 
.  examples  in  which  the  reverse  is  the  case.  In  some 
instances  Viniferas  grafted  on  other  Viniferas  have  become 
hardier  against  the  Anaheim  disease,  in  others  they  have  suc- 
cumbed more  quickly.  In  grafting  a  variety  on  a  variety  of  the 
same  species  the  difficulty  is  generally  not  so  great.  The  effect 
is  much  greater,  either  to  the  better  or  to  the  worse,  if  a  variety 
belonging  to  one  species  is  grafted  on  a  variety  belonging 
to  another  species.  In  grafting  a  Vinifera  on  a  more 
sluggish  grower  in  California  there  is  more  or  less  loss  of  vigor  and 
productiveness.  By  doing  the  opposite,  provided  the  new  vine  has 
a  fairly  good  adaptation  to  soil  and  climate  and  there  is  also  a 
good  affinity  and  proper  congeniality  in  regard  to  habit  of  growth, 
greater  vigor  and  productiveness  is  the  result.  But  considering 
that  Viniferas  have  a  good  adaptation  for  California  in  regard  to 
size  and  vigor,  either  by  forcing  their  growth  in  giving  the  vine 
a  more  free-growing  root  (Riparia  or  Rupestris)  or  by  retarding 
their  growth  with  a  more  sluggish  root  (Lenoir  and  Champirii), 
the  result  can  not  be  always  satisfactory.  As  has  been  explained, 
the  grow*th  habit  of  a  vine  is  a  most  important  factor.  If  it  is 
too  free,  the  vine  will  exhaust  its  vitality,  before  the  end  of  the 
summer  is  reached  and  suffer  a  check  in  its  energy;  if  it  is  too 
sluggish,  it  can  not  avail  itself  of  the  favorable  moisture  conditions 


— 9— 

during  spring.  At  the  same  time  practical  experience  has  proved, 
that  as  a  rule  the  difference  between  growth  habit,  of  graft,  and 
growth  habrt  of  ro,ot,  should  not  be  too  great,  lest  there  is  lack 
of  harmony  or  congeniality  between  root  and  graft.  A  Vinifera 
grafted  on  an  exceedingly  sluggish  grower  does  not  succeed  at 
all  in  California  and  if  grafted  on  an  exceedingly  free  grower  it 
becomes  less  vigorous  and  productive.  •  » 

As  the  different  Vinifera  varieties  vary  somewhat  in  regard 
to  growth  habit,  a  slightly  forcing  root  for  some  would  be  bene- 
ficial, while  with  others  a  slightly  retarding  root  would  have  a 
good  effect,  depending  on  conditions  of  soil  and  climate  of  a 
locality.  The  above  remarks  have  been  made  without  reference 
to  form  of  root  system  and  size  of  roots.  A  difference  in  'this 
respect  would  also  make  a  difference  with  grafted  vines. 

Why  it  is  that  the  Lenoir  with  its  own  top  on  most  soils 
appears  to  be  an  exceedingly  free  grower,  while  after  being  grafted 
to  Vinifera,  it  retards  the  latter's  growth,  would  be  difficult  to 
explain  and  more  difficult  to  understand.  But,  I  believe,  an 
understanding  of  it  would  be  helped,  by  comparing 'it  to  tones  in 
music.  While  some  of  these  quite  a  distance  apart  on  the  scale, 
sound  well  together,  others  much  closer  to  one  another,  make  a 
discord.  Althpugh  there  is  quite  a  difference  in  regard  to  sen- 
sftiveness  to  temperature  conditions  between  the  root  and  top  of 
a  Lenoir,  their  congeniality  is  perfect.  A  similar  relationship  of 
root  exists  probably  with  some  Viniferas,  only  less  pronounced. 
To  embrace  all  the  different  Conditions  of  relationship  between 
stock  and  graft  in  the  word  affinity,  is  ex'tremely  inadequate  and 
inaccurate.  For  instance  a  Berlandieri,  grafted  on  a  Vinifera 
grows  vigorously,  but  reverse  it  and  it  is  a  failure.  The  affinity 
in  grafting  certainly  is  the  same  in  both  cases,  but  while  a  Vinifera 
root  has  a  good  congeniality  in  growth  habit  to  a  Berlandieri  top, 
vice  versa  congeniality  is  entirely  lacking. 

It  is  well  known  from  European  viticulture!  practice,  that 
the  quality  of  the  grape  is  much  influenced  by  conditions  of  soil 
and  climate.  The  Riesling  produces  its  most  valuable  product 
along  the  Rhine,  it  is  worthless  in  Spain  or  Italy.  The  Grenache 
and  Mataro  have  value  only  in  southern  France  or  northern 
Spain.  Grafting  a  Vinifera  on  a  more  free-grpwing  root  is  the 
same  as  transplanting  the  vine  on  its  own  root  into  a  warmer 
climate  or  soil.  Grafting  on  a  retarding  root  is  the  same  as  trans- 
planting the  vine  on  its  own  root  into  a  cooler  climate  or  soil. 


—10— 

While  in  some  cases  the  quality  of  the  fruit  is  improved  through 
grafting,  in  others  it  becomes  inferior.  This  is  said  without  re- 
gard to  form  of  ropt  system.  A  difference  in  this  respect  would 
make  the  effect  either  more  or  less  pronounced.  In  grafting,  the 
character  of  the  vine  is  changed  and  in  consequence  also  the 
character  of  the  fruit. 

It  is  generally  considered  that  the  root  system  of  vines  and 
trees  is  commensurate  of  the  size  of  their  tops.  This  undoubtedly 
holds  good  with  most  ungrafted  trees  and  vines,  but  not  always 
is  correct  with  grafted  ones.  In  grafting  on  a  more  freely  growing 
root,  the  size  of  the  root  system  may  be  much  less  in  dimensions 
than  the  top  growth,  but  such  a  diminutive  free  root  is  perfectly 
able  to  supply  the  larger  top  with  nourishment,  as  long  as  mois- 
ture is  within  reach.  But  this  will  become  exhausted  from  such 
a  small  space  much  sooner  than  from  the  large  space  covered  by 
a  vine  with  a  more  expansive  root  system.  Such  a  condition 
exists  with  vines  grafted  on  Rupestris  St.  George  standing  on 
Stiff  clays. 

RESISTANCE  TO  THE  PHYLLOXERA. 

In  regard  to  resistance  tp  the  Phylloxera  it  must  be  remem- 
bered, that  the  vine's  ability  to  overcome  the  effect  of  the  work 
of  the  insect,  does  not  depend  only  on  its  innate  resistance,  but 
is  much  influenced  also  by  adaptation  and  hardiness  to  other 
diseases  and  with  grafted  vines  also  by  affinity  and  congeniality. 
Aestivalis,  Candicans  and  Labrusca  with  a  somewhat  low  resist- 
ance thrive  well  in  their  respective  localities.  Their  resistance  is 
entirely  sufficient  ,or  nature  would  have  developed  a  higher  one,  if 
it  was  necessary.  In  fact  Mr.  T.  V.  Munson,  of  Denison,  Texas, 
considers  the  Candicans  the  hardiest  American  vine  capable  of 
enduring  the  greatest  drouth  and  heat.  If  this  was  unconditionally 
correct,  why  does  it  not  occur  also  in  Georgia  or  Florida,  where 
climatic  conditions  for  a  large  and  vigorous  growth  of  the  grape 
vine  are  certainly  much  more  favorable  than  in  Texas. 
Birds  carry  grape  seeds  in  all  directions.  On  the  other  hand 
Cordifolia  and  Rotundifolia  with  the  highest  resistance  possible, 
certainly  must  need  this,  or  nature  would  not  have  developed  it, 
as  it  does  not  develop  any  qualities  which  are  unnecessary  for  the 
maintenance  and  survival  of  its  products. 


—11— 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  CALIFORNIA  VINE  OR  ANAHEIM  DISEASE. 

It  is  generally  admitted  that  the  disease  is  caused  by  a  minute 
living  parasitic  organism  and  is  therefore  contagious.  But  as  long 
as  the  organism  is  not  found,  an  exact  idea  in  regard  to  its  nature 
and  manner  of  attack  on  the  grape  vine  can  not  be  formed.  It  is 
only  from  its  visible  effect  on  the  vine,  the  ensuing  consequences 
and  other  signs  and  symptoms,  that  we  can  draw  our  conclusions. 
My  observations  during  the  last  few  years  have  led  me  to  be 
convinced  that  two  kinds  of  infections  may  occur,  through  the 
root  and  through  parts  of  the  foliage,  and  that  the  disease  may 
appear  in  five  different  forms  or  manners  in  which  it  affects  the 
vine. 

Form  I,  the  latent  or  incipient  form.  I  am  not  entirely  con- 
vinced that  it  is  proper  and  accurate  to  call  this  form  latent.  It 
may  be  simply  the  first  imperceptible  attack  on  the  root  of  the 
vine  by  the  disease,  having  so  little  consequence,  that  the  vine 
does  not  show  any  of  its  effect.  But  I  am  convinced  that  in 
some  cases  Viniferas  on  their  own  roots  in  the  Santa  Cruz  Moun- 
tains, having  obtained  full  size  before  the  disease  germs  entered  the 
tissue  of  their  wood  and  on  favorable  soil,  may  have  this  form 
for  ten  years  and  show  perfect  health  and  thriftiness. 

Form  II.  As  soon  as  the  vine  is  exposed  to  adverse  con 
ditions  of  one  kind  or  another,  weakening  its  vitality,  Form  I  de- 
velopes  more  or  less  rapidly  into  the  more  acute  Form  II.  This 
form  in  its  beginning  causes  the  vine  sometimes  to  bear  a  heavier 
crop  as  the  first  symptom  of  diminishing  vigor.  The  heavier  crop 
in  turn  weakens  the  vine  and  favors  the  further  development  of 
the  disease.  Form  II  generally  shows  itself  in  an  unthrifty  growth 
of  the  vine,  the  latter  setting  a  heavier  crop  than  it  can  develop 
properly,  the  grapes  apparently  mature,  but  are  low  in  sugar. 
The  vines  sometimes  fail  to  make  growth  fr,om  some  spurs  or 
only  short  growth.  Some  which  seemingly  have  made  healthy 
growth,  occasionally  die  all  at  once  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
summer  or  the  following  spring. 

It  appears  that  in  this  form  the  disease  germs  do  not  enter 
the  top  of  the  vine,  the  latter  probably  dies  from  want  of  nourish- 
ment, without  showing  any  of  the  characteristic  spots  on  the  leaves 
or  showing  only  very  indistinct  ones  late  in  the  season.  Young 
vines  which  had  the  disease  as  Form  I  from  the  time  they  were 


—12— 

planted,  generally  succumb  with  Form  II,  if  not  perfectly  hardy. 
Some  Viniferas  develop  this  form  more  rapidly  on  the  moister 
soils,  which  favor  a  rank  growth  (Tokay),  others  on  the  poorer 
and  'drier  soils,  on  which  the  growth  becomes  impoverished. 

Form  III.  In  this  form  the  disease  enters  the  top  of  the 
vine  from  the  root,  which  almost  always  seems  to  occur  while 
the  growth  of  the  vine  is  rapid  and  exposed  to  great  heat  and  a 
dry  atmosphere  and  transpiration  through  the  foliage  therefore 
excessive.  Vines  which  are  not  exceedingly  vigorous,  may  also 
show  this  form,  but  such  vines  always  attained  their  full  size  before 
the  disease  entered  the  tissue  of  their  wood,  which  enabled  them 
to  go  through  Form  II  without  being  killed.  In  grafting  Lenoir, 
Cordifolia,  Candicans  and  ojthers,  which  have  been  considered  re- 
sistants  unconditionally,  ,on  Riparia,  having  the  disease  as  Form  I, 
and  irrigating  heavily,  so  vines  make  rapid  growth,  while  the  heat 
is  great,  the  grafts  will  readily  develop  Fprm  III  of  the  disease. 
Similar  cases  can  be  seen  also  in  the  field  sometimes;  vines  having 
shown  great  vigor,  rapidly  develop  Form  III  from  Form  I.  The 
characteristic  symptoms  of  Form  III  have  so  often  been  described 
as  the  only  symptoms  of  the  disease,  as  immature  wood  on  the 
•canes,  especially  the  tips,  short  growth,  failure  of  fruit  to  mature 
and  spots  on  the  leaves,  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  dwell  on  this 
point.  Rupestris  St.  George  vines  favor  an  acute  development  of 
the  disease  mpre  on  the  richer  or  moister  soils  and  Lenoir  and 
Champini  vines  more  on  the  poorer  or  drier.  The  above  three 
forms  are  simply  different  stages  in  the  development  of  the  disease 
and  lines  of  demarkation  are  not  always  plain.  Whenever  the  disease 
makes  its  presence  known  as  Form  III,  we  may  be  sure,  that 
most  of  the  vines  in  the  vineyard,  however  thrifty  they  may  be, 
have  the  disease  as  Form  I,  and  a  good  many  as 
Form  II.  As  I  have  recommended  topping  vines  as  a  pre- 
ventive of  the  disease,  I  must  say  at  the  present  time, 
that,  while  it  seems  to  prevent  Form  III  somewhat,  it  apparently 
increases  the  chances  of  the  disease  as  Form  II.  But  if  practiced 
lightly  in  checking  the  growth  of  running  canes  by  pinching,  I 
believe  it  has  a  good  effect. 

I  have  never  seen  an  American  vine  on  its  own  root  in  this 
locality  show  Form  III  of  the  disease,  but  at  its  worst  only  the 
beginning  of  Form  II,  which  manifests  itself  with  these  vines  in  a 
slight  unthriftiness  and  by  no  other  signs.  Whenever  a  vine 
shows  unthriftiness,  we  <  must  conclude,  that  this  disease,  if  not  the 


—13— 

main  cause,  is  at  least  an  auxiliary  cause,  because  as  soon  as  the 
vine  is  affected  by  adverse  conditions,  the  disease  also  becomes 
more  active.  But  an  American  vine,  ungrafted,  (Rupestris  St. 
George,  Lenoir,  Champini  and  a  few  others)  will  recover  from 
Fprm  II,  if  placed  under  more  favorable  conditions.  A  Vinifera- 
grafted,  hardy  American  vine  may  also  recover  after  the  top  has 
died,  even  if  the  latter  should  show  Form  III.  I  have  a  few 
Rupestris  St.  George  vines  on  the  place  as  examples  of  this  latter 
possibility,  which  are  exceedingly  vigorous  and  healthy  at  the 
present  time.  The  extremely  heavy  bearing  of  a  vine,  induced 
by  too  long  pruning  and  exceptionally  long  dry  summers  are 
probably  the  most  fruitful  causes  for  the  development  of  the 
disease  into  an  acute  stage. 

There  are  two  other  forms  of  the  disease,  in  both  of  which 
infection  seems  to  take  place  through  parts  of  the  vine  above 
ground,  the  bloom  and  some  other  portion  of  the  foliage.  These 
two  forms  do  not  occur  much  and  apparently  affect  only  vines, 
which  have  become  considerably  weakened  by  the  root  Form  II. 
They  seem  to  occur  mostly  in  such  places,  where  on  account  of 
the  nature  of  the  climatic  conditions  or  the  nature  of  the  grafting 
stock  the  stage  of  the  disease  as  Form  II  is  much  prolonged. 

My  observations  regarding  the  Anaheim  disease  have  been 
made  in  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains  and  if  they  should  not  corre- 
spond with  the  behavior  of  the  vines,  attacked  by  it  in  other  places, 
allowance  must  be  made  on  account  of  the  probable  difference 
in  the  climatic  conditions. 

THE  ANAHEIM  DISEASE  A  NATIVE  OF  THE  EASTERN 

STATES. 

It  appears  to  me  that  the  organism,  causing  the  California 
vine  or  Anaheim  disease,  must  be  a  native  of  the  eastern  States, 
but  existing  mostly  as  Form  I,  and  the  disease  occurring  occasion- 
ally as  Form  II  and  causing  the  death  of  vines.  Although  the 
evidence,  which  I  can  bring  in  support  of  this  claim,  is  all  cir- 
cumstantial, I  consider  it  exceedingly  strong  and  after  giving  two 
reasons,  which  have  led  me  to  think  so,  shall  proceed  from  the 
supposition  that  it  is  correct. 

In  the  first  place  the  manner  in  which  American  vines  as 
well  as  Viniferas  die  in  the  eastern  States,  reminds  one  very  much 
of  the  death  of  vines  by  Form  II  of  the  Anaheim  disease  in  Cali- 
fornia. Mr.  T.  V.  Munson,  to  whom  I  am  much  indebted  for  in- 


—14— 

» 

formation  "concerning  the  behavior  of  native  vines  in  the  eastern 
States,  informs  me  that  Riparia,  Rupestris  and  Solonis,  grafted 
and  ungrafted,  on  upland  sandy  s.oils  in  eastern  Texas  are 
short-lived.  They  generally  succumb  after  a  season  of  a  severe 
drouth  by  what  has  been  called  root-rot  by  some.  Why  should 
this  be  so?  Our  California  experience,  before  we  had  this  disease, 
has  taught  us  that  these  vines  on  such  soils  and  under  drouth 
conditions  much  more  severe  than  any  occurring  in  the  eastern 
States  were  quite  thrifty  and  long-lived,  at  least  ungrafted  most 
anywhere.  Considering  our  greater  heat  during  the  summer, 
drier  atmosphere  and  in  consequence  the  more  rapid  transpiration 
through  the  foliage  of  vines,  this  would  be  a  singular  phenomenon. 
On  Mr.  Munson's  nursery  grounds  Riparia  Gloire  de  Montpelier 
and  Rupestris  St.  George  are  less  vigorous  than  Solonis, 
Doaniana  and  other  native  vines.  This  also  is  contrary 
to  our  experience.  What  a  difference  for  instance  is 
presented  by  ungrafted  Riparia  and  Rupestric  vines 
in  the  Santa  Clara  Valley  and  such  vines  in  the  Santa  Cruz  Moun- 
tains! While  in  the  former  they  die  off  sometimes  quite  suddenly 
after  a  few  years'  growth,  in  the  latter  this  seldom  occurs  and  it 
is  only  the  unthrifty  growth  of  a  vine  here  and  there  which  leads 
one  to  suspect  as  cause,  either  direct  or  indirect,  the  disease. 
How  much  greater  should  be  the  difference  between  any  part  of 
California  and  any  of  the  eastern  States  where  the  heat  is  less 
intense  and  the  atmosphere  less  dry,  in  regard  to  the  visible  'signs 
of  the  disease. 

In  the  second  place  the  distribution  of  the  native  American 
species  over  the  eastern  States  can  not  be  explained  by  adaptation 
alone,  accepting  the  word  adaptation  here  in  its  narrow  sense, 
as  it  is  generally  understood.  Wy  should  not  the  free-growing 
Riparia  and  Rupestris  flourish  much  better  in  Florida  and  Georgia 
or  adjoining  States  on  sandy  or  gravelly  creek  beds  than  in  those 
regions,  where  they  do  occur  and  where  climatic  conditions  for  a 
vigorous  and  rapid  growth  of  the  grape  vine  are  much  less  favor- 
able, if  it  was  not  for  the  fact  that  conditions  for  the  developmnet 
of  the  disease  are  also  much  more  favorable  in  the  former  States. 
The  distribution  of  grape  seeds  through  birds  is  unlimited,  where- 
ever  there  is  land  connection.  Riparia  and  Labrusca  are  natives 
of  eastern  States,  where  heavy  frosts  occur.  Considering  their 
great  hardiness  to  frost  and  the  shallowness  of  their  roots,  it  is 
not  unlikely  that  this  assists  them  in  fighting  their  battle  for 


—15— 

existence  with  the  disease.  According  to  Mr.  Munson  the  Ber- 
landieri  occurs  mostly  on  the  upper  portions  of  limestone  ridges, 
but  occasionally  descends  down  into  the  bottoms  of  ravines  and 
creeks.  Why  is  it  not  more  numerous  on  the  richer  s.oils  than  on 
the  poorer  and  drier?  From  our  experience,  before  we  had  this 
disease,  we  know,  that  most  any  vine  will  succeed  much  better  on 
rich  or  moist  soils  than  on  the  poorer  or  drier.  Wherever  a  wild 
vine  is  found  most,  there  conditions  for  its  best  development  are 
most  favorable.  Why  does  the  Berlandieri  not  inhabit  Geprgia  or 
Florida,  where  summer  rains  are  much  more  frequent  and  regular 
than  in  western  Texas?  In  the  distribution  of  native  vines  over 
the  eastern  States  we  find  that  almost  every  region  and  every 
kind  of  soil  has  its  own  species  of  grape  vine,  or  if  more,  related 
species.  We  certainly  have  the  same  phenomenon  also  with  other 
annual  and  perennial  plants.  A  good  many  species  of  wild  plants 
have  their  own  restricted  area,  where  they  succeed  well,  while 
in  other  places  they  are  unthrifty  and  short-lived.  But  how  do  we 
know,  that  in  such  unfavorable  locations  the  death  ,of  such  plants 
is  not  hastened  or  caused  directly  by  some  minute  organisms, 
which  have  defied  discovery  by  the  closest  microscopical  investi- 
gations? 

ORIGIN  AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF  AMERICAN  SPECIES. 

I  believe  it  is  claimed  that  all  existing  grape  species  have  de- 
scended from  an  original  or  primordial  form  different  from  any 
existing  species.  But  this  primordial  form  undoubtedly  has  been 
much  more  like  the  Viniferas  than  any  of  the  American  species, 
as  the  former  are  least  hardy  to  any  of  the  parasitic  diseases  of 
the  grape  vine  and  also  least  hardy  to  extremes  in  climate.  Nature 
always  developes  the  hardiest  and  it  is  not  very  likely  that  it 
would  make  a  retrograde  movement  in  producing  the  Eupopean 
species,  at  least  not  in  regard  to  enduring  extreme  cold  con- 
ditions, as  in  the  northern  countries  of  Europe,  where  the  Vini- 
feras can  not  exist,  climatic  conditions  are  not  any  more  severe 
than  in  the  northeastern  United  States  or  sputhern  Canada.  If 
the  original  species  had  possessed  any  resistance  to  the 
Phylloxera,  some  traces  would  be  left  of  this  in  Vinifera,  taken 
into  account  its  manifold  types.  In  regard  to  resistance  to  the 
Anaheim  disease — this  is  a  matter  of  adaptation.  Considering 
the  fixedness  of  the  forms  of  American  species  and  their  peculiar 
distributions  for  special  soils  and  over  restricted  areas,  a  good 


—16— 

many  forms  of  the  original  species  must  have  succumbed  and  only 
the  hardier  ones,  possessing  a  perfect  adaptation  to  the  soil  on 
which  they  stopd  and.  its  climatic  conditions  remained.  As  the 
Anaheim  disease  organism  became  gradually  more  effective  in  its 
work  the  different  specific  forms  also  perfected  themselves  and 
became  more  fixed  and  more  uniform  in  their  varietal  types  for 
the  different  soils  and  climates. 

The  Vinifera  species  during  this  time,  not  being  subjected  to 
such  in  influence,  did  not  change  much;  it  did  not  develop  into 
more  specific  forms,  althpugh  acquiring  a  good  many  varieties, 
but  which  must  be  ascribed  principally  to  the  agency  of  man. 

The  difference  between  Vinifera  and  the  American  species  is 
not  as  great  as  one  might  suppose  at  first  thought.  The  great 
variety  of  growth  habits  and  combinations  Vinifera  presents  in  its 
different  forms,  although  all  in  a  slighter  degree  than  with  the 
different  American  species,  leads  one  almost  to  suspect  that  all  of 
the  latter  have  descended  from  the  former.  In  this  case  we  would 
have  to  look  at  different  Vinifera  varieties  as  the  incipient  forms 
of  American  species.  (See  "Origin  of  Species"  by  Charles 
Darwin.) 

.Let  us  see  now  what  special  changes  the  grape  vine  under- 
went in  order  to  cope  successfully  with  the  Anaheim  disease  and 
the  severer  climatic  and  special  soil  conditions.  It  has  been 
mentioned  that  the  two  principal  species  in  the  northern  States, 
Riparia  and  Labrusca,  are  exceedingly  hardy  to  frost  and  shallow- 
rooting  and  that  the  former,  occurring  more  in  the  middle-west, 
is  extremely  free-growing  or  is  little  affected  in  its  growth  by 
coldness  in  the  soil.  In  the  southern  States  almost  all  species  are 
sluggish  growers,  more  or  less,  which  is  indicated  by  the  absence 
of  the  rooting  quality  of  their  cuttings,  besides  they  are  mostly 
deep-rooting.  In  the  Rptundifolia  we  probably  have  the  greatest 
divergence  from  the  original  type,  having  lost  all  affinity  in  graft- 
ing to  other  species  and  being  entirely  uniform  in  its  varieties.  It 
occurs  in  a  region  where  conditions  for  a  rapid  and  rank  growth 
of  the  grape  vine  must  be  extremely  favorable  and  therefore  also 
favorable  for  the  development  of  the  Anaheim  disease.  But  it 
could  not  inhabit  the  region  or  the  soil  where  the  wild  Rupfestris 
is  found  mostly;  its  too  sluggish  root-growth  would  incapaciate 
it  in  the  presence  of  the  disease  to  draw  sustenance  from  a  coarse, 
gravelly  soil,  in  which  the  moisture  settles  down  rapidly.  The 
Rupestris  is  a  species  of  late  development;  its  somewhat  less  uni- 


—17— 

form  type  proves  this.  It  has  probably  originated  through  the 
blending  of  Riparia  with  one  or  more  southern  species,  possibly 
the  Monticola  and  Cordifolia,  but  taking  after  the  first-named 
entirely  in  growth  habit.  By  a  peculiar  Combination  of  the  quali- 
ties of  its  parents  it  is  enabled,  although  an  exceedingly  free 
grower,  to  exist  in  a  hot  country.  We  know  from  our  California 
experience-  that  such  deep  and  poor  gravelly  soils  with,  perpetual 
moisture  in  their  lower  strata,  on  which  it  is  found  wild,  are  not 
exceedingly  favorable  {or  the  Anaheim  diseases. 

It  must  strike  us  as  peculiar  that  there  are  no  intermediate 
forms  in  regard  to  growth  habit,  excepting  possibly  some  scattered 
individual  vines  here  and  there,  between  Riparia  and  Labrusca 
on  one  side  and  species  occurring  in  the  southern  States  (sluggish 
growers)  on  the  other  side.  Vinifera  has  the  intermediate  forms, 
but  these  could  not  occur  in  intermediate  regions  on  account  of 
the  Phylloxera,  Anaheim  and  other  diseases.  The  phenomenon 
is  easily  explainable  by  the  climatic  conditions  of  the  East.  The 
change  from  the  frost  belt  to  the  almost  frostless  belt  is  very 
abrupt. 

All  American  species,  excepting  the  Californica  and  possibly 
the  Arizonica  have  developed  by  natural  selection  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Anaheim  disease  in  their  respective  areas  and  soils. 
They  are  threfore  all,  with  the  one  expectipn,  perfectly  hardy  against 
it  in  their  own  locality,  but  generally  not  perfectly  hardy  anywhere 
else.  The  Californica  very,  likely  has  descended  from  a  species 
highly  resistant  to  the  Phylloxera,  but  as  it  came  to  California  and 
attained  its  present  character,  before  the  insect  found  its  way  here 
through  the  agency  of  man,  mpst  of  its  resistance  has  been  lost. 
Resistance  to  the  Phylloxera  is  not  an  original  or  generic  quality 
wth  the  grape  vine.  If  it  was,  all  vines  would  have  about  the 
same  resistance.  A  vine  can  not  develop  any  of  it  without  the 
actual  presence  of  the  insect  on  its  roots,  but  it  may  be  there  by 
inheritance. 

The  Californica,  with  one  .other  possible  one,  Labrusca, 
comes  nearer  having  about  the  average  growth  habit  of  the  Vini- 
fras,  than  any  other  American  species.  After  having  been  absent 
in  numerous  transitional  forms,  the  original  growth  habit  of  the 
grape  vine  appears  again,  as  the  Californica  developed  with  only 
climate  and  soil  exerting  their  influence  and  without  the  influence 
of  the  Anaheim  disease.  It  is  not  probable,  that  it  has  descended 
directly  from  the  Labrusca,  as  this  species  could  not  overleap  the 


—18— 

barrier  of  the  middle-west  without  diverging  into  other  forms 
first.  The  Californica  is  very  likely  a  direct  descendant  of  Can- 
dicans. Although  these  two  species  resemble  one  another  very 
much  in  general  aspect,  what  a  variation  the  former  presents  from 
the  latter  in  growth  habit.  While  with  the  Candicans  the  difler- 
ence  between  root  and  top  in  this  respect  is  exceedingly  great, 
in  the  Californica  we  have  almost  the  same  scope  of  sensitiveness 
of  root  and  top  to  temperature  conditions. 

HARDINESS  OR  RESISTANCE  AGAINST  THE  ANAHEIM 

DISEASE. 

There  is  no  innate  resistance  against  the  Anaheim  disease  in 
any  grape  species,  as  we  have  it  in  the  resistance  to  the 
Phylloxera.  A  perfect  adaptation  is  resistance,  an  adaptation, 
which  produces  the  healthiest  growth,  neither  a  rank  growth  nor 
an  impoverished  growth.  Through  proper  manipulation,  as  de- 
scribed above,  the  disease  can  be  caused  to  enter  the  wood  of  a 
Lenoir  or  Candicans  as  readily  as  that  of  a  Vinifera.  Lack  of 
adaptation  is  not  the  prime  cause  of  the  disease,  but  it  causes  the 
disease  t,o  become  fatal  to  the  grape  vine.  In  the  ungrafted 
Rupestris  St.  George,  Lenoir  and  Champini  we  have  examples 
of  what  is  needed  in  California,  as  far  as  hardiness  to  the  disease 
is  concerned.  They  are  hybrids  between  free  and  sluggish 
growers.  We  need  such  a  combination  with  more  or  less  of  the 
essential  qualities  of  each  class,  in  order  to  enable  the  vine  to 
take  advantage  of  the  spring  moisture  in  the  soil,  while  this  is 
cold  and  also  to  enable  it  to  go  unscathed  through  our  long  dry 
summers.  The  size,  vigor  and  hardiness  of  a  vine  are  the  result 
of  energy  taken  up  and  assimilated,  while  conditions  are  favorable, 
minus  the  set-back  it  receives  during  the  season  through  some 
cause  or  other.  If  this  latter  is  too  great  during  the  summer  for 
the  vine  to  withstand  or  to  overcome  the  following  spring,  it 
becomes  a  failure  sooner  or  later.  A  vine  which  makes  !slow 
growth  in  the  beginning,  but  never  receives  any  check  to  its  pro- 
gress, may  s.oon  outstrip  a  vine  of  quick  free  growth,  but  which 
suffers  at  times  from  adverse  conditions.  Living  organisms  are 
as  a  rule  not  adapted  to  extremes.  Thpse  which  endure  wet 
conditions,  can  not  endure  dry  conditions  and  vice  versa.  Stand- 
ing in  an  exceeingly  moist  soil  during  spring,  causes  some  species 
to  make  rank  and  soft  growth,  which  is  apt  to  become  unhealthy 
during  the  heat  and  dryness  of  summer  and  (so  creates  favorable 


—19— 

conditions  fjor  the  development  of  the  disease.  Vines,  especially 
those  with  a  variable  root-system,  will  become  accustomed  to 
soils  holding  somewhat  excessive  moisture,  if  this  is  uniformly  so 
during  the  same  season  and  one  season  after  another,  or  to  soils 
holding  scant  moisture  if  it  is  the  same  continually.  The  moisture 
conditions  can  be  made  more  uniform  by  proper  and  intelligent 
cultivation  and  by  giving  the  vines  ample  space.  This  latter  saves 
money,  labor  and  trouble. 

Wherever  the  disease  has  made  its  appearance,  it  is  some- 
times difficult  to  start  young  vines.  On  account  of  the  disease 
germs  entering  the  tissue  of  their  wood,  as  soon  as  they  begin  to 
grow  and  their  roots  not  being  down  deep,  where  the  soil  remains 
moist  and  cool,  they  are  apt  to  suffer  somewhat  even  on  rich 
ground  and  the  disease  soon  developes.  It  is  simply  a  question 
whether  the  disease  shall  remain  as  the  harmless  Form  I  or  de- 
velope  into  the  deadly  Forms  II  and  III.  For  this  reason  young 
vines  should  receive  careful  and  intelligent  treatment  in  cultivat- 
ing 1  the  ground  thoroughly,  holding  an  abundant  and 
uniform  moisture  supply  from  the  time  they  are  planted.  On  coarse 
gravelly  soils  or  any  soils,  which  are  apt  to  become  dry  or  heated 
near  the  surface,  it  is  well  to  give  them  some  irrigation  for  the 
first  and  second  year  in  order  to  enable  them  to  go  through  the 
summer  in  the  best  condition.  A  gallon  of  water,  applied  in  two 
doses  during  June  and  July  will  help  them  along  wonderfully. 
Because  a  certain  resistant  has  not  been  a  success  on  a  particular 
soil,  does  in  a  good  many  instances  not  prove  that  it  would  not 
have  succeeded,  if  it  had  received  proper  treatment.  Slipshod 
methods  in  grape  culture  will  not  do,  wherever  the  Anaheim  dis- 
ease is  present. 

Even  where  the  Phylloxera  has  not  made  its  appearance,  but 
the  Anaheim  disease  has,  it  is  extremely  unwise  to  plant  Viniferas 
on  their  own  roots,  as  for  most  any  soil  we  have  grafting  stocks 
at  present,  which  will  cause  them  to  do  much  better  and  last  much 
longer  than  they  will  on  their  own  roots.  But  considering  the 
great  uniformity  of  all  the  varieties  of  any  of  the  American  species 
we  must  realize  how  necessary  it  is  that  we  get  a  certain  type 
of  vine  for  a  particular  soil  or  locality  in  selecting  not  only  the 
proper  root  but  also  the  proper  graft.  To  choose  the  prpper 
root  is  most  important  and  to  choose  a  proper  graft  is  almost 
equally  important,  because  the  tops  of  n,o  two  vines  grow  exactly 
alike.  But  it  is  impossible  to  lay  down  exact  rules  for  guidance 
in  either  of  the  above  requirements,  because  conditions  of  soil  and 


—20— 

even  of  climate  vary  in  California  as  well  as  in  any  country  with 
summer  rains.  It  is  for  every  vineyard  owner  himself  to  find 
out,  which  is  -best  for  his  special  conditions. 

Of  the  resistants  on  hand  at  present  the  Rupestris  St.  George 
is  probably  the  one  which  has  the  greatest  usefulness,  at  least 
for  the  Coast  mountain  region,  the  only  one,  with  which  I  have 
acquaintance. .  With  the  proper  graft  it  seems  to  hold  out  well 
on  a  good  many  kinds  of  soils,  especially  deep  gravelly  ones, 
'excepting  those  exceedingly  rich  or  moist,  where  its  growth  is 
too  rank,  while  the  vine  is  healthy.  Although  it  resists  well 
against  the  disease  on  clays,  it  is  not  a  good  success  on  such  soils 
for  other  reasons,  as  lack  of  vigor  and  inferior  quality  of  fruit; 
but  with  a  favorable  graft  it  will  even  do  fairly  well  on  clays,  if 
these  are  not  overly  stiff.  Whenever  a  resistant  stock  has  not 
a  perfect  adaptation  to  a  soil  or  climate,  extreme  care  must  be 
taken  in  the  selection  of  the  graft;  if  the  adaptation  is  perfect,  then 
this  is  not  quite  so  essential.  The  Rupestris  St.  George  has  a 
misleading  name.  It  undoubtedly  belongs  to  the  Champini 
group  of  vines,  which  are  hybrids  between  Candicans,  Monticola 
and  Rupestris,  but  not  always  showing  their  relation  to  each  of 
these  species.  While  the  other  Champinis  take  considerably  in 
their  growth  habit  after  their  sluggish-growing  parents,  the  Ru- 
pestris St.  George  has  its  growth  habit  almost  entirely  from  Ru- 
pestris, but  with  a  much  longer  seasonal  activity  and  with  the 
form  of  root  system  and  the  fleshy  roots  of  the  Champinis,  as  de- 
veloped by  nature. 

With  Riparia-Rupestris  3,306  I  have  but  little  acquaintance, 
but  if  it  is  a  hybrid  between  Riparia  and  Rupestris  St.  George, 
it  would  explain  its  resistance  to  root-rot  in  France.  Although 
the  Rupestris  St.  George  has  not  this  quality,  some  of  its  parents 
have.  If  the  origin,  of  Riparia-Rupestris  3,306  is  as  stated,  it 
will  give  this  vine  very  likely  value  for  the  richer  or  moister 
soils,  on  which  the  Rupestris  St.  George  succumbs.  The  two 
mentioned  stocks  are  supposed  to  be  perfect  resistants  against  the 
Phylloxera,  although  this  would  depend  also  on  other  conditions, 
as  explained  above. 

Of  stocks  which  are  more  sluggish  growers  than  the  Viniferas, 
we  have  the  Lenoir  and  Champinis.  The  former  ungrafted  is 
the  hardiest  and  healthiest  vine  for  California  for  all  soils  from 
medium  to  rich.  It  has  some  value  as  a  direct  bearer,  as  it  pro- 
duces fairly  good  crops,  its  grapes  containing  a  good  deal  of 
coloring  matter,  useful  in  the  making  of  red  wines.  As  a  grafting 


—21— 

;stock  it  has  its  best  value  for  soils  exceedingly  rich  and  deep, 
especially  those  somewhat  close  and  compact,  but  which  warm  up 
readily,  as  rich  sandy  and  gravelly  loams.  It  does  well  also  on 
somewhat  cold  clays,  if  the  vines  are  not  set  down  too  deeply. 
The  butt  end  of  a  Lenoir  or  Champini  cutting  should  not  be  more 
than  8  or  10  inches  below  the  surface,  more  or  less  deep  according 
to  the  nature  of  the  soil. 

The  Champinis  have  a  more  restricted  adaptation  than  either 
the  Lenoir  ,or  Rupestris  St.  George.  Their  best  adaptation  seems 
to  be  for  rich  gravelly  loams,  holding  an  abundance  of  moisture. 
The  Barnes  and  De  Grasset  apparently  are  the  hardiest  of  this 
group.  The  latter  will;  grow  on  a  soil  less  rich  but  not  less  moist 
in  its  lower  strata.  The  Barnes  is  the  most  vigorous  of  the 
Champinis  and  will  also  do  fairly  well  on  clays. 

The  Lenoir  and  the  Champinis  have  a  resistance  of  12  and 
14  to  the  Phylloxera,  which  is  generally  not  considered  high 
enough  for  grafting  stocks.  But  what  has  been  said  above,  that 
grafting  in  itself  does  not  weaken  a  vine,  must  be  recalled  here 
also.  It  depends  to  a  large  extent  on  the  soil,  climate  and  graft, 
what  resistant  will  hold  out  the  longest,  whether  the  resistance  is 
12,  14  or  16.  But  it  seems  to  be  an  established  fact,  that  there 
is  a  much  greater  choice  of  soils  and  grafts  for  the  Rupestris  St. 
George  than  for  the  Lenoir  and  Champini,  where  both  the  Ana- 
heim disease  and  the  Phylloxera  have  to  be  considered.  The 
trouble  with  Rupestris  St.  George,  Lenoir  and  Champini  is,  that 
they  are  extremes  in  regard  to  growth  habit  for  California  con- 
ditions. For  this  reason  great  care  must  be  taken  in  choosing 
the  proper  soil  arid  graft  for  them.  The  Lenoir  root  stands  be- 
tween the  other  two,  but  much  closer  to  Champini  than  Rupestris 
St.  George.  It  would  require  a  dozen  hybrids  or  more,  every  one 
of  them  with  a  root  of  a  different  growth  habit  to  fill  the  space 
between  the  Lenoir  and  Rupestris  St.  George. 

In  regard  to  grafts  it  appears,  that  in  a  good  many  cases  new 
varieties  will  take  the  place  of  old  standard  varieties.  Our  ex- 
perience which  we  have  made  with  vines  on  their  own  roots  must 
be  almost  entirely  disregarded,  because  it  is  apt  to  mislead  us. 
Varieties  which  succumb  readily  to  the  Anaheim  disease  on  their 
own  roots,  may  hold  out  much  longer,  if  grafted  on  resistants, 
than  varieties  which  have  proved  hardy  ungrafted.  But  with  the 
Lenoir  as  a  grafting  stock  the  latter  kind  are  undoubtedly  the  best, 
because  we  have  a  similar  combination  of  root  and  top  growths  of 
such  vines  grafted  on  this  stock  and  ungrafted. 


—22— 

According  to  Prof.  Newton  B.  Pierce,  the  Tokay,  Grenache 
and  Malaga  are  hardiest  on  the  Lenoir.  With  Mr.  Wm  Pfeffer  of 
Cupertino  the  Tannat  and  Petite  Sirah  have  held  out  longest  on 
Champini  of  those  Viniferas,  which- he  has  had  under  cultivation. 
With  Rupestris  St.  George  and  other  free-growing  stocks  I  find 
that  such  Viniferas,  which  do  not  do  well  on  account  of  lack  of 
heat  in  soil  and  atmosphere,  as  the  Emperor  and  Petite  Sirah 
with  me,  are  the  best  success,  not  considering  other  requirements. 
The  choice  of  grafts  would  have  to  vary  some  according  to  special 
conditions  .of  climate  and  soil.  To  almost  every  vineyard  owner 
the  problem  presents  itself,  to  find  for  a  given  soil  the  right 
resistant  and  for  the  latter  the  right  graft.  As  a  rule  free-growers 
with  a  deep  vertical  root-system,  similar  to  Rupestris  St.  George, 
for  gravelly  soils  from  medium  to  poor,  and  stocks  of  a  somewhat 
sluggish  growth,  similar  to  Lenoir,  with  both  deep  and  horizontal 
main  roots,  for  the  close  and  compact  soils  will  give  the  best  re- 
sults; but  there  will  be  exceptions.  We  do  not  want  to  think  that 
there  are  maay  5-acre  tracts*  especially  in  mountain  regions,  where 
the  same  stock,  or  if  the  same  stock,  the  same  graft  will  give  the 
best  results. 

From  what  has  been  said  on  the  origin  and  development  of 
American  species  in  the  southern  States  of  the  East,  it  must  not 
be  supposed  that  we  need  similar  vines,  or  rather  vines  similar  to 
Lenoir,  for  our  richer  soils.  Cultivation  alters,  and  intelligent 
cultivation  improves  conditions  very  much  for  the  grape  vine 
against  the  disease.  Young  vines,  on  which  the  disease  is  most 
severe,  might  not  be  able  to  get  started  at  all  on  wild  land  in  the. 
East  with  regular  summer  rains  and  might  do  well  in  California 
on  cultivated  ground  and  live  a  long  life..  Cultivation  should  be 
so  that  extremes  in  -  the  moisture  contents  of  a  soil  are  avoided 
during  the  season  and  one  season  after  another.  Deep  gravelly 
soils  on  hillsides  in  the  Coast  mountain  region  hold  the  most  con- 
.stant  m.oisture  in  their  lower  strata  for  a  deep-rooting  vine. 

In  the  study  of  soils  in  regard  to  adaptation  the  moisture 
•conditions  are  of  the  greatest  importance.  These  do  not  depend 
on  the  physical  structure. alone  but  also  on  climate  and  cultivation. 
The  first-named  does  not  mean  only  the  mineral  ingredients  of  a 
soil,  but  includes  also  the  humus  contained  in  it,  which  latter 
has  the  greatest  influence  on  the  soil's  capacity  for  holding  and 
retaining  moisture.  There  are  principally  three  kinds  of  soils  in 
regard  to  moisture  conditions,  the  .coarse  gravelly  ones,  in  which 
the  moisture  settles  down  by  gravity,  the  close  and  compact,  in 


—23— 

which  it  rises  to  the  surface  and  those  half-ways  between  these  two, 
in  which  it  is  held  well  in  suspension.  In  regard  to  temperature 
conditions,  dark  colored  soils  warm  up  more  readily  than  light 
colored  ones,  and  gravelly  soils  more  readily  than  compact  ones, 
so  gravelly  or  sandy  loams,  rich  with  humus,  are  the  most  favor- 
able for  both  conditions  and  produce  the  rankest  growth.  In 
California  not  only  the  surface  soil  requires  consideration,  but  the 
sub-soil  is  of  prime  importance,  as  all  vines  must  make  deep  roots, 
in  order  to  be  enduring  of  drouth  and  heat  and  so  of  disease. 

While  I  think  that,  wherever  the  Anaheim  disease  is  present, 
the  hardiest  vines  and  in  the  quickest  manner  are  obtained  by 
planting  resistants  in  the  field  and  by  postponing  the  graft- 
ing till  the  vines  are  nearly  full  size,  cutting-grafting 
or  grafting  very  young  vines  in  the  field  has 
to  be  resorted  to,  if  the  stocks  do  not  graft  well 
when  of  full  size.  Besides  with  the  disease  germs  in  the  tissue 
of  their  wood,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  graft  some  resistants  in 
the' field,  especially  if  the  grafting  is  done  late  in  the  spring,  be- 
cause the  disease  developes,  while  the  vines  are  without  foliage  and 
so  causes  a  good  many  failures  or  kills  vines  right  out.  But " 
Lenoir  and  Champini  should  always  be  left  ungrafted  till  they 
are  nearly  full-sized,  excepting  possibly  on  soils  which  are  ex- 
tremely rich,  moist  and  warm,  as  rich  sandy  or  gravelly  loams. 

The  greatest  care  must  be  taken  in  the  selection  of  healthy 
grafting  wood  for  scions,  as  the  disease  works  as  a  degeneration. 
It  is  probably  the  same  as  what  we  call  this  with  other  plants. 
Cuttings,  to  be  used  as  scions,  should  be  taken  only  from  vigorous 
but  not  rank-growing  vines.  It  is  safest  to  take  the  cuttings  from 
vines,  grafted  on  hardy  stocks  with  which  the  rules,  as  explained 
above,  have  been  complied  with.  Resistant  cuttings  intended  for 
propagating  purposes  require  the  same  consideration.  It  is  gen- 
erally best  to  take  these  from  vines  on  their  own  roots,  standing 
on  the  proper  soil  or  any  soil  on  which  they  make  healthy,  vigorous 
growth.  Rooted  stocks,  which  are  always  preferable  to  cuttings 
for  planting,  should  be  strong  and  healthy  and  it  is  best  to  dis- 
card all  weak  and  feeble  ones. 

As  has  been  stated,  the  difference  between  the  tops  of  differ- 
ent species-  in  regard  to  growth  habit  is  not  nearly  as  great  as 
the  difference  between  different  roots.  In  fact  the  Vinifera 
species  offers  about  as  much  of  a  variety  of  top-growths  as  the 
whole  of  the  American  species.  It  will  therefore  be  just  as  easy 


—24— 

to  find  hardy  stocks  for  varieties  of  the  former  as  for  hybrids 
between  Vinifera  and  so-called  Anaheim-disease-resistant  vines, 
as  long  as  grafting  has  to  be  done. 

The  difficulty  in  hybridization  is,  that,  although  resistance  to 
the  Phylloxera,  growth  habit,  form  of  root-system  and  size  of 
roots  are  variable  qualities  with  the  grape  vine,  these  have  be- 
come so  firmly  established  in  their  respective  degrees  and  tied 
to  one  another  with  the  different  American  species  through 
selection  by  nature  under  the  combined  influence  of  the  Anaheim 
disease,  Phylloxera  and  climatic  and  soil  conditions  of  the  particular 
locality  where  each  occurs,  that  they  have  become  extremely  fixed 
and  persistent.  As  the  work  of  French  experimenters  has  proven, 
it  is  extremely  difficult  to  separate  them  and  combine  again,  each 
in  the  proper  degree.  If  one  quality  changes,  the  other  qualities 
change  cprrespondingly.  Still  we  have  enough  examples  on  hand 
to  convince  us  that  this  can  be  done.  As  long  as  we  have  not 
found  a  way  of  giving  medicine  to  the  grape  vine  internally  with 
good  effect,  prevention  of  the  disease  will  be  possible  only  in  the 
manner  as  has  been  the  object  of  the  writer  to  explain  in  the 
above  treatise. 


Press  of  "Sentinel,"  Santa  Cruz,  Cal, 


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PAT.  JAM  21,  1908 


544154 


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